Remember the old tag line "Is it real or Memorex?" That's how closely your life must imitate God!
Read / Listen to the chapter:
Read the chapter in an outlined format
Previous DIG DEEPER posts on Ephesians
Ephesians 5 Summary
Christians are called to be imitators (literally: mimics - v1) of God. This means you must make evert effort to resist the distortions the sinful world seeks to conform you to.
Even seemingly insignificant distortions can wreck the entire image, so Paul writes that there must not even be a hint (v3 NIV) of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk (literally 'moronic words') or coarse jokes (v3-4). Maybe you're pretty good at this, or maybe you struggle with it. But what about what you watch and listen to?
Remember: you are what you eat... and watch on TV... and listen to. There must not even be a hint of these sinful influences in your life.
Dig Deeper
The second half of chapter 5 is often pointed to by people who claim the Bible is irrelevant for the 21st century and that its misogynistic in how it teaches that women must live in submission to men.
Certainly there are lots of sad occasions in history when this teaching has been isolated from its context and used as rationale to maintain abusive environments. But when it's read along with the whole of Ephesians, it quickly becomes clear that it is wholly incompatible with any form of abuse.
Yes, women are called to submit themselves to their husbands (v22), continuing a pattern set forth in creation. But husbands are called to an even deeper submission: to love their wives as Christ loved the church. This sort of love does not tolerate even the slightest abuse (not even a hint). v33 summarizes this difficult passage nicely.
Don't let the world define your understanding of God's Word. Keep reading it for yourself!
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God exemplifies the love we must follow (v1)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is (v17)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
